The present application relates generally to the field of faucets. More specifically, the present application relates to faucets having a detachable spray head and the coupling mechanism used to detachably couple between a spray head to a faucet, such as the spout of the faucet.
Faucets having a detachable spray head generally include a coupling between the spray head and a spout of the faucet to provide for the detachable coupling of the spray head and to allow an increased range of the spray head. Such couplings are often formed of several components, which may increase the cost (e.g., part, labor, etc.) and require mechanical assistance to install or assemble the coupling to the faucet. Additionally, such couplings have a tendency for the several components to become misaligned, such as during installation. Such misalignment may deform the mating parts creating an interference with the spray assembly, which can lead to an undesirable increase in the effort (or force) that is required to decouple the spray assembly from the faucet. Additionally, such couplings have a larger variation in tolerances, which can lead to an undesirably loose coupling between the spray assembly and the spout causing the spray assembly to droop or wobble from the spout. Some configurations of faucets that include such couplings are viewed as bulky and visually unappealing, while others include locking devices, such as ones that require the user to twist or rotate the spray assembly to lock into position. Also, when such locking devices break or fail, the spray assembly is unable to be coupled to the faucet.
The faucets disclosed herein are advantageously configured with a coupling that allows for detachable coupling of the spray head from the faucet while addressing one or more of the issues discussed above.